The Stranger Perspective

Albert Camus writes his novel The Stranger using a first-person perspective as he narrates the life of Meursault: a man who remains detached, distant, and unemotional from the world around him. The novel is divided into two parts: Part One noting eighteen days in which events such as Meursault witnesses his mother’s funeral, a love affair, and a murder occur. This first part of the novel documents the moments of Meursault’s day-to-day normality, until he commits murder. In Part Two, Camus describes approximately a year in duration, focusing on the trial as an aftermath of Meursault’s crime. In doing so, the same eighteen days from Part One are recounted, but from various characters’ memories and points of view, whereby Meursault is targeted

He evidently replies that “it didn’t mean anything,” (Camus 34) causing Marie to further ask Meursault if he wants to marry her. He replied indifferently as he continuously displays that he lacks desire and ambition to advance socio-economically. Despite this, he says that they can get married if she wants to, and they become engaged. The next day Meursault, Marie, and Raymond go to a beach house owned by Masson, one of Raymond’s friends. While there, Masson, Raymond, and Meursault run into two “Arabs” on the beach, one of whom was Raymond’s mistress’s brother. A fight occurs and Raymond is stabbed. Yet after returning from the hospital later that day, Raymond goes back to the beach with Meursault. They again, run into the “Arabs” where Raymond considers shooting them with his gun, but Meursault talks him out of it and holds onto the gun instead. Meursault states “It was then that I realized that you could either shoot or not shoot.” (Camus 54) Meursault explains in this his thoughts towards the mere insignificance of any action and therefore of human existence causing him to confront the meaninglessness of human life. And as a result, Meursault returns to the beach alone, and, without reason, shoots Raymond’s mistress’s